'Murderer's House' - University of Victoria
'Murderer's House' - University of Victoria
'Murderer's House' - University of Victoria
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4.3 Lene and the Other Bride<br />
While in her positive collaboration with other women, in her existence as a<br />
housewife, and in her impassive reaction to the victimization <strong>of</strong> others, Lene resembles<br />
the old woman <strong>of</strong> the fairy tale, in her response to her own victimization she more closely<br />
mirrors the murdered maiden <strong>of</strong> the fairy tale. Both Lene and the murdered bride<br />
represent the passive woman abused by male aggression. By allowing herself to be<br />
coerced by the robbers into drinking three glasses <strong>of</strong> wine, the maiden lets herself<br />
become intoxicated and murdered. The Other bride‟s inaction in the face <strong>of</strong> men‟s<br />
violence can be linked to Lene‟s passive response to four episodes <strong>of</strong> violence<br />
perpetrated against her by male characters in the film. Both Lene and the murdered bride<br />
represent the passive woman abused by male aggression. Lene does not cry out when<br />
attacked by the SA man‟s German shepherd in the first scene, but instead cries in private.<br />
Lene‟s acceptance <strong>of</strong> the societal convention that women should “suffer in silence”<br />
curtails her agency and causes her to deny and censor her emotions, which in turn makes<br />
her react to situations <strong>of</strong> injustice and abuse with passivity and stoicism. Lene‟s<br />
compliance with social standards <strong>of</strong> acceptable female behaviour is further shown in her<br />
relationship with Hans. She is abused by her husband in a second instance <strong>of</strong> violence,<br />
this time domestic. When Hans returns from Poland on leave, he is frustrated by Lene‟s<br />
reluctance to be intimate with him and accuses her <strong>of</strong> having been with another man. He<br />
becomes increasingly agitated and, losing his temper, shakes Lene and slaps her in the<br />
face. The sound and camera movements play an important role in this scene. Periods <strong>of</strong><br />
silence are interrupted only by a few statements and are emphasized through long takes<br />
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